Greyhound
NEW ORLEANS – Greyhound Bus Corporation wants a lawsuit filed by a Louisiana woman who suffered various injuries as a result of a bus driver’s negligence heard in federal court.
Defendants Greyhound Lines Inc. and FlixBus Inc. filed a notice of removal March 13 in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana.
Greyhound wants the lawsuit, filed by plaintiff Sister Mary Clare Thomas in December, moved from Orleans Parish Civil District Court.
The lawsuit seeks damages for Thomas’ alleged injuries, which she claims were sustained while exiting a Greyhound bus at an intermodal facility in New Orleans on Jan. 5, 2025.
According to Thomas’ petition for damages, the driver failed to lower the bus, creating a “substantial drop-off” between the doorway and the ground.
In addition, a platform or ledge was present directly beneath the exit area, making the ground “uneven and hazardous,” Thomas alleges.
“As a result, the conditions directly in front of the bus doorway were unsafe and not conducive to a proper or secure exit,” the Dec. 29, 2025, filing states.
According to Thomas’ lawsuit, she sustained injuries to her back and both knees, causing “substantial pain, physical limitations, and long-term medical complications.”
She claims her injuries have required medical treatment and ongoing physical therapy, and may require surgical intervention in the future.
Due to her injuries, Thomas claims she has been unable to maintain her normal employment, resulting in lost wages.
Greyhound, in its removal notice, argues the lawsuit belongs in federal court due to the amount in controversy.
In federal court, the “amount in controversy” refers to the monetary value of a plaintiff’s claim. This must exceed $75,000, exclusive of interest and costs, for diversity jurisdiction.
“Although the Petition does not plead an amount in controversy pursuant to Louisiana law, it specifically states that Plaintiff sustained ‘injuries to her back and both knees, causing substantial pain, physical limitations, and long-term medical complications… [requiring] medical treatment and ongoing physical therapy, as well as possible surgical intervention in the future.’
“Plaintiff also alleges permanent disability or impairment as a result of her alleged injuries. Thus, on the face of the Petition, the amount in controversy has been satisfied for removal.”
Greyhound also notes that Thomas lives in Louisiana, specifically a resident of the Parish of East Baton Rouge, while Greyhound and FlixBus are based in Texas.
“Because Plaintiff is a citizen of the State of Louisiana and all Defendants are citizens of states other than Louisiana, complete diversity of citizenship exists among the parties,” Greyhound argues in its removal notice.
New Orleans firm Galloway Johnson Tompkins Burr & Smith is representing the defendants, while Koch & Schmidt LLC in New Orleans is representing Thomas in the lawsuit.
